Thursday, June 2, 2011

This Week In Rock History

1896—Guglielmo Marconi was granted a patent for the first radio, called an “electro-magnetic wave communication system”.

1955—Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley appeared together at an autograph session at a Lubbock, Texas car dealership.

1956—After performing the song “Hound Dog” on the Milton Berle show, outraged televisions critics lambaste Elvis Presley claiming that he obviously “Has no future in music.”

1965—Davie Jones and The King Bees, a British R&B band, release the single “Liza Jane.” Fearing confusion with the Monkees' Davey Jones, the band's lead singer would change his name to that of a “big America bear killing knife”, rechristening himself David Bowie.

1970—The Kinks' Ray Davies flies nearly 7,000 miles round trip to England from the US to re-record the words "cherry cola" in the song "Lola" after the BBC refuses to air the song with the original words, "Coca-Cola".

1976—The Who appear at the Charlton Athletic Grounds in England and put their name into the Guinness Book of World Records as the loudest rock band ever, when their set measures at 120 decibels. That record has since been surpassed.

1983—Jim Gordon, a member of DerekandtheDominos and co-writer of "Layla", kills his mother with a hammer and a kitchen knife. Gordon had long been complaining of “hearing voices”, mostly the voice of his mother telling him to starve himself. He is eventually convicted of 2nd degree murder and is still serving time in a California penitentiary after twice being denied parole.

1988—In what has to be the best, if eventually unsuccessful, defense tactic ever, lawyers for Adrienne Brown, who is being tried for drunk driving, argue that since her husband James Brown isthe “Ambassador of Soul” Mrs Brown should be granted diplomatic immunity.

2002—The Motor City Madman Ted Nugent is pulled from a local radio interview after he launches into a tirade of racial slurs aimed at Asians and Africans. He had been a regular guest on the show, but has never been invited back.